Knockdown bookholder



1953 M. J. DEVEAU 2,648,931

KNOCKDOWN BOOKI-IOLDER Filed Nov. 17, 1950 MeZrzm ifleveau,

Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention comprises a new and improved knock-down book holder whichmay be constructed at little cost from a pair of flat members of stiffsheet material such as fibreboard, plywood or light metal.

The device of my invention has the advantage that it consists of onlytwo members which may be identical in outline except for slots whichprovide for interlocking engagement. It may be readily set up for useand as readily knocked down for transportation. It is adaptable forbooks of all usual sizes and presents a stable, solid device when setup. The design is such that an extensive base area is provided withinwhich falls the center of gravity of the assembled holder and the bookcarried thereby.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the holder showing a book in dot anddash lines,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view in side elevation, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of the individual members of the holder.

The individual members I E! and 20 which make up the holder of myinvention as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are flat pieces which may be readilycut out from sheet stock of any suitable material. The member I!) has abody portion provided with a long flat bottom edge. At its forward endit merges into an upturned toe I I having a smoothly curved front edge.At the rear it merges into an upstanding back rest l2 having a straightrearwardly inclined front edge and a curved rear edge which is extendedinto a rearwardly extending heel I3 in the lower rear portion of thebody. This acts as a force-resisting buttress which holds the memberagainst the rearward tilting. The front and rear edges of the back restconverge upwardly and in the rear edge is provided a transverse slot [4which is disposed substantially at right angles to the inclined frontedge of the rest.

The member 20 is shown as having an upstanding toe 2! back rest 22 andheel 23. The member 20 is provided with a slot 2i which, in thisinstance, is located in the front inclined edge of the rest instead ofits rear edge as in the member Ill.

The two slots I4 and 24 permit the two members to be interlocked atsubstantially right angles to each other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

By this interlocking engagement the straight edges of the back rest arebrought into substantially the same plane and the bottom edges of themembers In and 20 are disposed in parallel relation with each other andat a substantial distance apart. They thus define the base area of thedevice which, it will be seen, is considerable in extent. The upstandingtoe of each member is spaced from the front edge of the back rest so asto provide a square sided notch adapted to receive the lower edges of anopen book, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, while the covers of the book restagainst the intersecting inclined edges of the back rests.

It will be apparent that the holder in knocked down condition occupiesvery little space and is of little weight. It may be readily assembledby interlocking each back rest section with the notch of the othermember and in assembled condition it presents a wide, firm base with thecenter of gravity of the supported book falling well within its area andthe buttresses formed by the heels l3 and 23 supporting the holder andbook securely against rearward tippin If desired the members In and 20of the holder may be constructed of plastic sheet material, and this maybe either molded or cut to shape.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A knock-down book holder comprising a pair of flat stiff members eachhaving a body portion with a long straight bottom edge, merging into anupstanding toe at its forward end and into an upstanding back rest atits rear end, the toe being spaced from the back rest to provide asquare sided notch to receive the bottom of an open book and the backrest having a straight rearwardly inclined edge for engaging the coversof the book, and the back rests of both members being slotted andinterlocked at substantially right angles to each other and bothextending upwardly in divergent relation above their point ofinterlocking.

2. A knock-down book holder comprising a pair of flat stiff members ofsimilar contour detachably interlocked at substantially right angles toeach other and both having long straight bottom edges which support theassembled members, each member having its forward portion shaped as anupstanding toe and its rear portion as an upstanding back rest with astraight inclined edge, and having a rearwardly extending heel portionserving as a buttress against overturning pressure, the back restsextending upwardly in divergent relation above the point ofinterlocking.

3. A knock-down book holder comprising a pair of thin flat members eachhaving an upstanding back rest portion with upwardly converging edgeswhich are oppositely slotted and provide for interlocking engagement ofthe two members, each member having also a body portion with a longstraight bottom edge and an upstanding toe 10 4 upwardly in divergentrelation above the point of interlocking.

MELVIN J. DEVEAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 625,013 Berbecker May 16, 1899 1,399,507, Mills Dec. 6, 19211,925,649 Anderson Sept. 5, 1933 2,335,020 Nehrich Nov. 23, 19432,441,932 Curry May 18, 1948

